All the Words
by wolfbadtreepretty
Summary: They are not friends. Rory and Jess, if things had been the same and different.
1. Stars Hollow BooksCommon Ground

**All the Words**  
**they are not friends**  
**The characters and world within do not belong to me.**

* * *

Stars Hollow Books is Where They Found Their Common Ground

* * *

While not sparing Al Franken a glance, she stops Jess Mariano. "You owe me."

"Excuse me?"

"You owe me. You left, and you...you broke my heart. I've spent almost a year trying to figure out what it was, what I did wrong. But it wasn't me; it was you and you treated me...so badly.

"Like dirt, and I never wanted to be one of those girls who let her boyfriend treat her like that, but I did because," she pauses, then continues, "I loved you and it made me half-blind to everything you did wrong the second you showed up with a book or Distillers tickets.

"And now, you're back, and I'm supposed to be mad at you, but I can't, because every time you see me you take off. Which, so you know, would further my 'I did something wrong' theory if not for the fact that you're just a jerk." She takes a breath. "And you never say...anything. Except 'I'm leaving' which works, I guess, since it's the only art you've really mastered. And it isn't like you show even that courtesy every time. Usually, you just leave and don't say a damn word."

"Rory"

"No, you don't get to talk. It's my turn to talk. I've wondered since you left, 'What would Jess say if I ever saw him again?' and 'What could he possibly have been thinking?' and even, on some level, 'Does he even miss me?'. But I won't get any of those answers because every time I talk, you close off, but you don't even want to give me that. You just want to run off."

He looks down. "Yeah."

"Yeah what?" she demands, scrutinizing him with her glare.

He looks at her, serious and defeated. "Yeah, I miss you. I didn't leave because of you."

"I don't care why you left, Jess! I care that you left, that you took off to God-knows-where without a freaking word. Do you know how I found out you were gone? Luke told my _mother_. I had to find out you'd left from my mom. I spent my entire trip to Europe wondering if you'd be here when we got back. I was going to forgive you if you were. I decided that. I thought, 'Hey, he left, but things sucked and he was stressed. If he's back, maybe it can work.' but...you weren't back. You weren't anywhere. I came home from Europe and you were still gone. Nothing was changed." She grimaces. "You still...left me."

"I was with my dad."

She blinks. That is it, no running monologue, no initiation of dialogue. Silence, a flutter of eyelash as skin slides over membrane.

He looks down. "He came to see me and...I was failing school, Luke was gonna kick me out! So, I followed him to California. I've been staying with him."

"Right. So, that bus..."

"Took me to the charter station in Hartford." He looks back up at her, shuttered and tired. "I didn't leave _you_. I mean, I did, but that wasn't the point of it."

She nods, crossing her arms and trying to shutter her own face as well as he manages his own. "How was California? Is?"

"Was," he says, first, before actually answering, "Like being forced to read _Lord of the Flies_ about three hundred times a day."

"I liked _Lord of the Flies_," she reminds him because this is normal, familiarity like warm early summer and skin on skin against the backdrop of floral curtains and brown leather. Like the digging of a refrigerator lever-handle into her hip with fingers on her neck, in her hair, skimming over breasts and belly.

"Fine. _The Old Man and the Sea_ or _White Nights_."

She looks away. "Dostoevsky was just being tedious."

When she turns back, his head is nodding and he rubs a hand through his hair. "Look, I'm leaving as soon as my car works again."

"I thought..." She clears her throat. "You said 'was'?"

After a moment, he realizes that she means California. "Yeah. I'm heading to the City. I got a guy...he's gonna hook me up with something. It's money, y'know?"

With a nod, she looks away again. "Yeah. Money. Is it...legal?"

He mumbles something.

"Huh?"

"Bike messenger," he offers.

She cannot hide her smile, but she manages to suppress her laughter. "Good, that you've got something set up." Before he can reply, be offended by her poorly hidden amusement, she wonders, "Will you call?"

His hand finds his hair again and a sigh falls from his lips before the words even finish leaving her mouth.

"You owe me," she reminds.

"No I don't," he says, defending himself. "You and I were never going to work." He shakes his head. "Not while we were the people we were."

She leaves her gawking out in the open, unhidden, for even him to see. "What?"

"If there ever is a chance for us to have any semblance of a functional relationship, platonic or Platonic, spending time apart when we're trying to work out our own personal bullshit is the best thing for that course. If we don't naturally find a common ground, if our being together has to be forced, we'll both be bitter and unhappy.

"We both need to grow up, I need to learn how to be with myself before I can put anyone else in the equation and you need to learn to be with someone without expecting them to change or add meaning to your life that you think you're missing."

"I don't"

"You do." He takes a step back. "You expected me to change to better fit your ideal of the person I could be. I'm not going to be Ward Cleaver _or_ a Rhodes scholar"

"But you could be! You have so much potential, Jess, and you just ignore it."

He points at her. "See, that's exactly it. I don't want that, you do, so you're trying to push me into it. I'm not ready to be with you, or around you, and you aren't ready for who I am. We aren't there." After a tense moment, he offers, "Not yet."

Rory stares at him for a minute, then two, while he just waits for her to say something.

"Look," he starts. "If I don't see you again before I leave, just...bye. I love you, and bye."

Before she has a chance to respond, he rushes past her and out of Stars Hollow Books.

* * *

"Hey, babe. Why the pathetic face?"

She shakes her head. "What should I be wearing for Grandma's ancient scrolls party?"

"Now, that is not a fashion drama face," Lorelai reprimands, following her daughter into the first-floor bedroom. "What's the problem?"

"Nothing. I think my pink dress is at Yale."

Lorelai wonders, "When did you need your pink dress?"

She shakes her head, sorting through garment bags. "A just-in-case thing. A last minute Grandma party or a date or something."

"That's a Jess-face," Lorelai replies, seemingly having forgotten the detour of the conversation. "You ran into Jess."

With a frown, Rory looks at her mother. "Yeah."

"Did he say more than two words this time?" Lorelai wonders, plopping onto the bed on her belly. She kicks her feet back and forth, waiting impatiently for an answer.

"Way more," Rory admits, turning back to her closet. "And a lot of it made sense, which kind of bugs me. I kind of went off on him in the bookstore"

"Well deserved."

"That's what I thought, but then he said all this true stuff about him, and about me and us. Just, about how we can't deal with each other while we're dealing with our crap."

Lorelai's jaw drops. "Uh! He did not!"

"He did! And I can't even say he's wrong! I tried pulling the 'you owe me' card and he defended very maturely."

"Like, what did you say?" She shakes her head. "Wait, no, what did he say?"

She shakes her head in return, leaning against her dresser. "All this stuff about how we weren't working and how if there's any hope of us having a relationship we both need to just grow up. I expect too much and he can't treat me right until he can treat himself right."

Lorelai stares. "Relationship? There's talk of another relationship?"

"Friends, at least. I mean, Luke lives here, and you said his mom was thinking about moving to Stars Hollow." She shrugs. "We're going to see each other. It'd be nice if we didn't have constant reruns of Weston's."

"But, Rory..."

"Look, I'm not looking for something with Jess. But before we got together, we were friends, and I liked that." She goes back to her closet, pulling out a dress. "We talked about books and music and food. I'm not looking for a relationship with Jess or anyone else, but if there's a chance we could be friends again one day...I don't want to mess it up."

Lorelai forces a smile. "If it makes you happy, hon." 


	2. Last Weeks Mights, This Weeks Nights

**All the Words** **they are not friends** **The characters and world within do not belong to me.**

* * *

Last Weeks Mights, This Weeks Nights

* * *

The things she knows: Graham is a tool, she will never get set-up again, and Jess would love an excuse to get away from his mother's wedding.

"Hey," she says into the cell phone. "So, I didn't know who else to call." There is no answer. "I kind of need a ride."

A pause, a measured breath. "Where are you?"

* * *

"Hey," he offers, compact in the bustle of the bar as if he has done this a thousand times.

She stands up, confused whether to offer her hand or a hug or...something. Instead, she gives him a smile. "Hey. Sorry for...tearing you away."

"No. It's cool." He shakes his head. "I've spent the last two hours being lectured on the wonders of prison without irony or sarcasm involved."

"Well, valuable career advice."

He smirks, starts to lead her out. "Let's get out of here."

She follows him out, wordlessly. The night is calm, late spring with the early-summer shades that remind her of leather couches and hands caught between cotton and sticky-sweaty skin.

He leads her down the block, a dark green Chevrolet truck. "You took Luke's truck?"

"My brakes are shot," he says, climbing in. "Luke told me to bring it."

Clutch, shift, accelerate. She nods, buckling up her belt. "Oh. This isn't too much of an inconvenience, is it? I didn't want to ruin your night."

He takes a sharp turn, but she remembers his driving and is ready for it.

"Wonders of prison," he reminds. "So, am I taking you to Stars Hollow or Yale?"

"Yale, if it isn't too much trouble? I still have some stuff to pack up and I kind of want to get some of it in my car so I can get-up-and-go in the morning."

He nods. They make turns she is unfamiliar with and they arrive at Yale before very long at all, the rest of the trip quiet but for the radio.

They sit for a minute, awkward quiet outside of lite rock. Then, he turns off the truck and pockets the keys as he climbs out, door jarring behind him as he slams it.

Before she has fully processed it, he is opening her door. "C'mon, we'll load up the truck."

"What?" she asks, finally coming to the present.

"We'll load up the truck, and the car, and that'll probably cover everything, right?"

She blinks. It is a good idea. "Yeah."

"Well, you can get home and not spend tonight alone at the campus that, if it were in Maine, Stephen King would be writing about frequently." He gestures for her to get out.

"But you...don't you need to get back?"

He waves her off. "No. Come on, Luke doesn't need the truck."

She nods, getting out with his shoulder as leverage. "Okay. Thanks, Jess."

* * *

Lorelai wonders if going into Luke's is the best idea, if they really are...dating. However, she needs the coffee, and he has the coffee.

As soon as she gets there, Luke drags her into the upstairs hallway. "Jess didn't come back."

"What? Back from what?"

"He left to pick up Rory last night. She was at this bar and...he left, he took my truck. There's no Jess this morning, no truck. His piece of crap car, on the other hand, is standing around very proudly."

"Wait, what? That's where he was going?"

"Yeah, and I told him to take the truck, 'cause his brakes are shot and he doesn't need to repeat their last driving escapade." He gesticulates rather enthusiastically throughout his ranting.

She just cannot absorb any of this. "Rory called Jess to pick her up?"

"Yes, and he hasn't been back since."

Lorelai pulls out her phone, dialing Rory's number. A ring, 'This is Rory. Leave a message and I'll get back to you.'

"Hey, hon, call me right when you get this, okay? It's important."

She hangs up, shoves her phone into her pocket. "Her phone is off or dead or...does Jess have a cell."

"Yeah, but I don't have the number, because it's supposed to be for work." He shakes his head. "I'm gonna kill him if he hurt her."

Lorelai swallows, fearing something considerably worse.

"What about her phone at the dorm?"

"No, it was disconnected on Friday."

"Cesar can watch the diner," he offers.

Lorelai blinks. "For what?"

He looks at her. "So we can go find Rory and kill Jess."

"Right!" she agrees, starting down the stairs. "To kill Jess."

* * *

"I should take a shower," she offers, awkwardly.

Jess is still sitting on the bed, elbows on spread knees, forehead in his hands.

At least his pants are on now, she thinks. Huge improvement. At least, for getting things done. She checks her watch. Eight-thirty, but her phone has yet to beeped its reminder at her.

She opens up her purse, pulling out her phone and the little disk. The phone is off. She sighs, turning it back on, and dry-swallows a pill from the disk. Two new messages, both from her mom. One about calling her back and then another, 'Hey, hon, Luke and I are on our way to your dorm, but call if you get this before we get there. Love you.'

She throws both things back into her purse and, in a slight panic, grabs one of the pillows and the top sheet from her bed. She hurries out of the room, arranging the bedding on Janet's abandoned bed. "Get out of my room. Luke and Mom are on their way here right now."

"This wasn't supposed to happen," he reassures her, tone flat, as he wanders into Janet's room.

She nods. "Yeah. I'm gonna get that shower now."

He nods, but settles on Janet's bed in the same position as he had sat on hers.

"You might want to have your shirt on by the time they get here," she offers, heading for the showers with her last outfit as a resident of Durfee.

Rory is unsure where all of this is going, or how packing turned into something with far fewer cardboard boxes, or why she is so okay when he is not.

She scrubs quickly, does not bother with conditioner or shaving her legs. She finishes and dries off, gets dressed. She puts on deodorant and brushes her teeth before pulling towel-dried hair back into a ponytail.

Jess is gone when she wanders back into the room, though. The door is wide open, fewer boxes scattering the room. He wanders in a minute later, grabs another box, and heads out.

She grabs a box, too, because it seems to be the thing to do, and starts to follow him.

At the truck, he puts his in and then hers.

"Jess," she starts.

"Let's just get loaded up."

She starts to follow him back. "Are you mad?"

He turns around quickly and she runs into his chest before taking a quick, stumbling, step back. He grabs her shoulder but, as soon as she is steady, retreats to himself. "Few things," he says, not in admittance but in fact. "Mad isn't one of them."

"Well, then, what is? Just one, because...I really want to know where we stand right now." She shakes her head. "Or, where we will stand."

He says, "Confused. Tired."

She bites her lip, toying with the question. "Do you have a girlfriend?"

He looks like he knows a direction for this to go and dislikes it. "What if I do?"

"Then...we did something wrong. If not, we're...friends who slept together."

There is the slightest bit of surprise, she thinks, weaving itself into his gaze.

She smiles. "I'm not looking for anything right now, Jess. I'm confused, and this year has been really weird and...it was okay. It was nice. So, see, that's good. But, we're okay."

"It was supposed to be different for you, though," he says, points out to her.

Rory shakes her head. "It was you, which is pretty much how I thought it was going to go."

"Huh." He stares at her for a moment. "We're friends?"

"Weird, huh?" she offers, looping her arm with his and leading him back to the dorm.

* * *

"So, how was it?" Lorelai wonders.

Rory looks over at her. Luke and Jess are putting the last of the boxes in the truck while they close up the room. "What?"

Lorelai crosses her arms, cheeks pulled in. "Oh, come on, Rory. There is no way you thought 'he slept in Janet's room' was going to work. On Luke, yes. But on me, the woman who bore you from her loins, who cherished and nurtured you for the past twenty years?"

"It just kind of...happened." She shrugs.

"Oh, Rory," Lorelai says in that 'you messed up' tone that Rory is completely unacquainted with.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you first. It isn't a big deal."

Lorelai is bug-eyed at that. "It's the biggest deal."

* * *

"You think I'm stupid? Lorelai might buy the pillow, but God knows you never manage to keep the blanket on the bed," Luke berated.

Jess looks at him, feeling caught. "What?"

"You're playing with Rory, and if you hurt her again, so God help me"

"You have a real thing for the Holy Father today, Luke. Is Sunday getting to you?"

Luke slammed the tailgate to the truck. "You know exactly what I'm talking about, Jess."

"If anyone is playing with anyone here, by your dear and unfriendly Lord, it's her."

"What are you talking about? Rory's got no idea about this territory, and you know it, and you're taking advantage of it." Luke's finger hits his chest to punctuate every other word.

"She's the one who starts things. I offered to help her pack and next thing I know, I'm being brushed off." He pushes Luke away. "'Are you mad? Let's be friends!'" he mocks. "I'm sick and tired of hearing about how Rory is the sweetest little princess in all the land 'cause fuck knows she's stomped on me more times than I can count."

* * *

"It isn't the biggest deal." She shrugs. "We talked about it, we're friends. He's cool with it, I'm cool with it."

"No, you just think you're cool with it. He talked you into being cool with it, Rory."

"It was my idea!"

Lorelai sighs. "You think it's your idea, but hon, you're so prepared to do things to keep from ruining your friendship with Jess that you're blind to what this is." She gestures pointlessly. "This was your first time, and it was with a friend? That isn't you, Rory."

"Apparently, it is!" She shakes her head. "I'm so tired of being told my ideas aren't mine, that I'm being manipulated by some boy. I am _not_ that weak!"

"I didn't say you were weak, sweetie."

Rory walks past her. "Not in so many words. Look, I'm an adult. I can be drafted and enter into legal situations and have sex." She turns the light switch out. "Despite what Joss Whedon has spent the past seven years trying to tell us, sex is not the end of the world."

* * *

"That doesn't sound like Rory."

Jess throws his hands up. "That sounds exactly like Rory. Rory who strung me along for a year, Luke. Rory who kissed me and ran back to her beanpole boyfriend. Rory who wouldn't be with me, and wouldn't leave me alone long enough for me to get over her." He starts to the passenger side of the truck. "It sounds exactly like Rory."

Luke follows, holds the door shut so he cannot climb in to avoid the conversation. "What are you talking about?"

"Rory has always yanked me around, Luke. Where the hell have you been the past three years? I'm not saying I've been perfect, but neither has she and I'm so sick and tired of hearing about all the ways I do her wrong when it's a very complicated system of 'who can hurt who the worst' with us. And God, did Dean give her a lot of damn good practice."

"You love Rory. You told me you love her. You told _her_. What happened?"

"Nothing happened." He shakes his head, knocking down Luke's arm and opening the door. "Everything is exactly the way it always has been and always will be," he offers in parting before climbing into the truck.

He punctuates his closing remark with a slam of the door.

* * *

"Rory, I'm just afraid you're being rash. Sleeping with someone is a big deal."

"Yeah, and it happened with someone I love, who loves me. Someone who I have common ground with. You're just mad because I didn't tell you and because it was Jess."

Lorelai trailed her. "Well, yeah. Rory, this boy keeps hurting you. He shows up and then he leaves and he waits until you're okay again to show up in your life again."

"Jess hasn't been out of my life."

"What?"

Rory spun. "We've been talking since he was in Stars Hollow in February. Once or twice a week."

"Oh."

"Yeah. And I couldn't tell you because as soon as Jess comes into the picture, you're a villager and he's Frankenstein's monster."

"Well, the intellect is about right."

"The monster was intelligent. Hollywood bastardized Shelley's characterization," she complains. "He was kind and smart and creative until Lorelai and the rest of the townsfolk started chasing him with torches and pitchforks."

"Okay, we're talking about Jess again, right? Because I don't remember anyone in the movie named Lorelai."

Rory huffs, balling her hands at her sides. "Look, I am not Tina and he isn't Ike. He's not hurting me, he isn't manipulating me, my ideas and thoughts and choices are my own. He's more freaked out than anything."

* * *

Luke pulls the door back open. "What are you talking about? Rory's been nothing but patient and...and kind. She's the only person in that town, besides me, who gave a damn about you."

"I'm not saying I don't love her, 'cause hell, I can't help that. And I'm not saying she doesn't love me. But any time we're around each other, everything is crap and it isn't all me, despite what everyone thinks."

"Have you tried talking to her?" Luke says, wandering into unfamiliar territory.

He pushes his hair behind his ear. "Gee, Uncle Luke, what a great idea! I can't believe I never even thought of it!"

Luke cuffs his arm. "Don't be a smartass."

"Yeah, I've talked to her. A lot."

"What?" Luke asks, looking confused.

"We've been talking, at least once a week, just the past few months. I mean, since I was in town last."

Luke smirks. "Since you told her you loved her."

"Lucas," Jess says in warning, giving his uncle an entirely unamused glare.

"You didn't need to be told to open the doorways of communication," Luke replies with a teasing grin. "You already did it."

"Shut up."

* * *

"Wait, what do you mean, _he's_ freaked out?"

"He's seriously wigging," Rory says. "He said it was supposed to be different for me, and he's confused, and he thinks I'm expecting something. I'm not, though. I started it. He was just being nice, helping me pack up so I didn't have to drive back and forth all morning. He wanted me to spend last night at home." She shrugs. "But, I started it and I told him it was okay, and it was what I wanted; it was. I don't regret it."

Lorelai sighs. "Not yet, anyway."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Look, hon, in ten years, say, when you're getting married, do you really want to say that your first time was with a friend?"

Rory scoffs. "I think it could've been worse. It could've been Graham, and Dean's been sending off these really weird vibes."

"Dean's married."

"Kind of my point."

* * *

"This is good, kid," Luke says, trying to reassure Jess. "Open communication is the only way you can hope to achieve a healthy bond."

"I don't think there's such thing as a 'healthy bond' for Rory and me."

"If you love her"

Jess interrupts, annoyed, "Love isn't a magic Band-Aid to fix everything."

Luke's face falls. "If you try"

"We'll still be us, the people who can't deal with each other. I'm so tired of talking about this. I _want_ to move on."

"Then start saying no, man," Luke points out.

"Oh, right. Now, say, Lorelai propositioned you. You'd say no, sorry, need to be with myself for awhile?" He shakes his head. "C'mon, Luke."

"You need to be stronger than..." he trails off, gesturing vaguely to Jess' pants.

Jess' eyes go wide. "Don't do that ever again!"

* * *

"So, if it hadn't happened with Jess, it would've been married Dean?"

Rory turns and start to walk away again. "Maybe. I don't know. I kind of want to say no, but it's Dean."

Lorelai follows as quickly as her shoes allow. "So, you slept with Jess to avoid sleeping with Dean?"

"No. It's just a happy side effect," she replies. "I slept with Jess because I wanted to sleep with Jess.

"Oh, come on, Rory."

"No. Look, I had sex with someone I love, who loves me. We were safe, and it was nice. I'm okay, I'm _great_ and I'm tired of this conversation."

Before Lorelai can reply, they are too close to the truck to not be heard.

* * *

"Well!"

"Do not go there, Luke," Jess demands. "My shrink is going to love this. I finally have something to blame you for."

Luke cracks up into laughter. "You have a shrink?"

"You needed a book to tell you what everyone has known since the dawn of time," Jess says.

"You have a shrink," Luke returns.

"I think you're getting smarter there, Uncle Luke."

* * *

"Huh. Did you know he has a shrink?"

Rory looks back at her mother begrudgingly. "Every Tuesday at two."

"Look, babe"

"Let's just get home so I can get unpacked."

They head over to the truck, Lorelai offering, "So, we'll meet you guys at our house?"

Luke turns soberly. "Sounds good."

"Thanks, Luke," Rory says. "Jess. I appreciate the help."

"No problem," offers the younger, Luke simply nodding.

"Yeah, thanks," Lorelai gives, arms crossed and eyes down. "See you guys soon."

* * *

After Luke has left for the diner, Rory asks Jess in. "I have some stuff. Books, CDs, a jacket."

"Right." He follows her in, through the kitchen to her bedroom.

"It's just some stuff you left around. Thought you might want it back," she says, trying to keep her tone and wording nonaccusative.

She pulls a box from under her bed, half-full of books and CDs, a few DVDs.

"Thanks." He takes the box, holds it awkwardly.

"Do you need to leave?"

"Should. I have work at three."

She nods. "Okay. Can I give you a ride back to your car at least?"

He shakes his head. "I could use the walk. I just need to thinks some things out."

"Right." She follows him to the door, opens it for him. She stands there as he leaves and when he reaches the bottom of the stairs, she wonders, "Friends?"

He looks back at her, takes a moment before his face becomes steely definitive. "No."

She does not ask. He leaves.

* * *

Lane sits on the bed, waiting patiently.

It takes Rory the better part of ten minutes to screw up her courage. "I had sex."

"Oh my God!" Lane squeals. "With who?"

"Jess." She looks down. "I had sex with Jess. At my dorm. Twice."

"Oh my God! How was it? How was _he_? How did this happen? I mean, I know you guys were talking, but..."

"Well, it just sort of...happened." She shakes her head. "I was on this...really awful date and I called Jess to pick me up, because I knew he was in town for his mom's wedding. And...we were going to pack up my stuff and get it back home. But, he was there, and he was taping up boxes, and he looked nice, even if I'm not so fond of the hair. So, I kissed him and it progressed. It was nice, good. He was good. Nice. And I thought we were okay, but he says we aren't friends anymore."

Lane rolls her eyes. "Well, duh. Your ex-boyfriend does not come to pick you up from an awful date on his only night in town during his mom's wedding if he has his heart set on friendship."

"But we agreed to be friends!"

"Jess has been hung up on you for a year. He came back and told you he loved you," Lane points out. "Then, you slept with him and tried the friends-with-benefits angle."

Rory scoffs, grabbing a pillow. "Jess is not interested in being together."

"Maybe not now." Lane sighs. "Okay, he went off on you about how you're all complicated and you both need to grow up before anything can work, which means he's picturing that, at some point in the future, you'll be together again, and sleeping with him and then pulling the friends card probably seems like a setback to his goal."

"Where did you get that?"

Lane looked shifty eyed. "My keen best friend insight?"

"He talked to you?"

"He said a few things. He had to get his stuff, I was in the diner. He thought it was as good a way to get the message across as any." She pauses, looks at her best friend. "Look, Rory, you know how it goes with you two! It was your turn to break his heart and...it worked."

Rory stands up, tossing the pillow back on the bed. "I can't believe you'd say that."

Lane sighs and joins her in standing. "I'm not trying to be harsh; it's just how you guys have always been. He got a few shots in, and this definitely got him back for it."

"You're on his side?"

"No!" Lane looked up. "There aren't any sides. I just think, and he does too, that it isn't right for you guys right now. And he doesn't feel like you guys can be friends."

Rory shakes her head. "I can't believe this is coming from you. Lorelai, yeah. But...Bye, Lane," she finishes, storming out.

* * *

She calls, there is no answer. She goes to Europe with her grandmother because she needs to clear her head and get away from the looks Lorelai gives her.

When she gets back, his cell phone is disconnected.

She calls the phone at his apartment, gets a tired greeting from a heavily accented man.

"Hi. Is Jess there?"

"Jess moved."

She pauses. "What?"

"Jess moved from New York, two months ago."

She swallows thickly, clutching the phone. "Do you have his new number?"

"Oh, no. No new number."

"Oh. Okay." She offers a 'thanks' before she hangs up. She could ask Luke, but he would want to know why she wanted it. Liz is still on the circuit.

* * *

"So, uh, Rory." Marty, good Marty. He is here, nice and completely willing to humour Paris. "Do you have a boyfriend?"

She frowns. "No. I don't."

He nods. "Oh. Why?"

"What?"

"I mean, you're smart and you're funny."

"Oh, and very, very pretty," she reminds, smiling. "Don't forget that."

"Ah, yes, very pretty," he agrees.

She is still smiling. She does not know where this could go, but she hopes it is good. "You want to watch a movie tomorrow?"

"Depends. Is Paris going to be here?"

"Uh, well, I meant, like, at the theatre. Like a date."

His eyes go wide. "Oh. Yes!"

She laughs.

"That was slightly embarrassing."

"Meet here, say, seven? I'll drive."

He nods, grinning. "Sounds good." 


	3. Let Me Hear Your Heartbeat Ring Out

**All the Words**  
**They are not friends**  
**The characters and world within do not belong to me.**

* * *

Let Me Hear Your Heartbeat Ring Out

* * *

Jess is standing outside her apartment. "Jess."

"Hey," he offers, as if he saw her for coffee last week.

"Uhm." She squeezes her eyes shut tightly and moves aside. "Come in."

"Everything good?"

She nods, closing the door and then crossing her arms over her chest. "Great. You?"

"Good until this past minute or so."

"Good. So, where've you been the past year?"

He sighs. "Not important."

"Right. Not important. You leave, use my best friend as a mouthpiece instead of actually talking to me, because that idea is just too innovative for you, change your number, move."

"Luke had my number, knew where I was. I figured you'd ask if you cared."

"I figured you'd tell me if I was supposed to know! But, no, because that would be the mature thing to do."

He throws his book bag down. "Can we not do this? I didn't come here to fight with you."

"It's the only part we were ever any good at," she replies with some malice.

"Well, then, let's make this quick," he suggests, picking up the book bag and zippering it open. "I'll be out of your way in a minute." He pulls out a book, thin like a novella and black covered. 'The Subsect' 'Jess Mariano'.

He hands it to her; fingers brush fingers, early-summer leather and empty dormitories. Cold Coke cans, from a lever-handled refrigerator, on hot damp skin followed desperately by warm lips and greedy fingers.

She swallows, looks at the book, the back, flips through. 'For Lorelai the younger, Luke, Liz, Lane.'

"You wrote a book."

"Novella."

She looks up at him. "You wrote a book. I'm sitting here learning about objective narrative and you wrote a book."

"It isn't a big deal."

She smiles. "What's it about?"

"Read it."

"Now?"

He shrugs. "If you want."

"I can't. Paris needs a partner for her ken do class in forty-five minutes. She and her boyfriend broke up again and it's a couple's class."

He smirks as if he is trying not to laugh. "Then later."

"How long are you in town?"

"I head back to Philly the day after tomorrow."

She nods. "Right. Are you busy tomorrow? We can have dinner. Talk about your book. Your book." She grins. "You have a book. Ooh, can I do a review?"

"Wait, what?"

"I'm the editor of the Yale Daily News, and we're always looking for stuff other people aren't doing. There are three thousand reviews of every book on the Times' best-sellers list. There are not three thousand reviews of _The Subsect_ by Jess Mariano."

He looks challenged. "You want to review my book?"

"Well, not me personally, because I have a bias. It's a conflict of interest scenario. But one of our book reviewers. Unless you want a really bad review, in which case, Glenn. Do you have another copy? How much is it?"

"Uhm, sure." He pulls another out of the bag. "On the house, have someone tell the world it blows."

"Oh, I bet it doesn't." She looks at him certainly, confident, "I bet it's great, and original, and very you."

"That's why you aren't doing the review," he points out.

She nods absently, searching around for a pen and paper. "Give me your address and I'll mail you a copy of the review when it comes out."

He looks amused by her, but jots it down when she hands him the paper and pen.

"So, dinner. You free?"

"I am." He nods.

"Great. So, do you want to meet somewhere or?"

"I'll pick you up at seven-thirty if that works."

She grins. "Perfectly."

The door opens behind him, allowing the dulcet tones of Paris and Marty arguing into the apartment. "You can't just kidnap Rory every time you and Doyle break up."

"I've known her longer than you, buddy. I have dibs. We're best friends. We bonded long before you forgot how to keep your clothes on."

"She's _my_ girlfriend."

"Oh, nice, very caveman. God, all of you men are exactly alike, did you know that? You think any woman who'll sleep with you is your property, something you have a right to. Rory is an independent woman, as am I, and neither she nor I will subscribe to your out-dated and out-moded concept of gender role ideals."

"You owe me! You forced her to go to your craft class on _our anniversary_."

"Rory made her choice. I didn't force her to do anything."

"You threatened to hot glue my penis to my stomach."

"She had a choice!" Paris huffs before storming off to her room.

Marty slams the door. "Why did I agree to live with her?"

"Uhm, Marty..."

"No, I know why I agreed to it. There was a very distinct series of events leading up to the acquisition of an apartment and the sharing thereof. But there was supposed to be Doyle to keep her occupied and supply small, very small, amounts of male bonding." He turns, sees Rory and Jess. "Oh. Hi."

She smiles. "Hi. Uhm, Marty, this is Jess. Jess, this is my boyfriend, Marty."

"Nice to meet you," Marty says, offering a hand. "I'm not usually..."

Jess shakes his hand. "I know Paris."

"Thank God. So, I've heard a little about you, actually. Very little, but, good to meet you."

"So, very little," he offers.

"Jess wrote a book," Rory says. "We're going to dinner tomorrow to talk about it. Gives me time to read it."

Marty nods. "Cool. Maybe I'll look through it."

There is short quiet before Rory wonders, "What are you and Paris fighting about now?"

"She's doing that thing; again, where she plans stuff for you to do with her because she doesn't want to do it alone and Doyle isn't around."

"Don't worry; they'll be back together within a few days."

"Before or after your butter churning instructional?"

"What?"

"Before or after your volunteer work at the animal shelter?"

"She didn't."

"Before or after she takes you to Massachusetts and makes it legal?"

"Now you're being hyperbolic," she points out.

He warns her, "It'll happen eventually. Lane will be the maid of honor, Nanny will be best man, Lorelai will find out when you come back from the honeymoon the proud new parent of three Indonesian orphans and a wallaby."

"Where did we get three Indonesian orphans in Australia?"

"The better question is, Where did you get a wallaby in Indonesia?"

"I'll call Doyle," she offers.

He kisses her forehead. "Thank you. I never thought I'd miss her, frankly, creepy relationship with Professor Flemming."

"I heard that," Paris shouts, storming back out of her room. "My relationship with Asher was a beautiful and mature bond you will never understand because you are a boy and Asher was a man. Hi, Jess."

"Hey."

"Well, then, maybe I'll understand after the first wave of _grandkids_ when I'm dating a co-ed who will be the death of me."

"I told you, Asher was not felled by my vagina!"

"Hey, Paris," Rory cuts in. "I'm not churning butter with you, I'm not volunteering at the animal shelter. You need to call Doyle and fix this."

Paris turns to her. "I told him to stop saying my sexual organs are responsible for the death of a great and beloved man. It was over a year ago, I wasn't even with him."

She sighs. "Marty, Paris did not kill Professor Flemming. Please stop defaming her character and that of my grandfather's dear friend."

"Paris was sleeping with a friend of your grandpa's?" Jess wonders.

"Asher and I had strong mutual interests and shared passions. It wasn't about sex. But, if it had been, it was fantastic sex."

"God, no one needed to hear that," Marty complains.

"Oh, grow up."

Rory sighed. "Paris, go to your room, do your crafts, and call Terrence or Doyle. Do what you need to calm down. Marty, go to our room. Punch a pillow, call your brother, read. Calm down."

They both stared at her.

"Go!"

After a minute, she turned back to Jess. "They aren't usually that bad. Sorry."

"Well, Paris."

"Yeah. Paris. Marty has a low Paris threshold; Paris hates Marty. I thought they'd get along better with more 'average' interaction. They don't."

"Well, now there are toilet seat issues and who used the last of the milk."

She blinks. "Actually, there was that before. They just hate each other. Sometimes, instead of going somewhere, Lane and I stay in, make popcorn and listen to them."

After a few minutes of quiet, he offers, "So, Marty."

"Marty," she confirms.

"Didn't picture you with a guy named Marty."

"Yeah. Two whole syllables, it kinda freaks me out," she offers.

He laughs, full, and it surprises her.

She smiles. "Nice sound. So, how've you been, anyway?"

"I'm okay. Better. Growing up, little by little."

"Oh, I know that one," she insists. "You happy?"

He shrugs. "I'm getting there. You?"

"Eh. Paris."

"Seriously."

She nods. "I'm happy. Suffering from felicity, even. I got my life and my family and my college and my friends." She grins, because she really is happy, really does feel fulfilled. "I think you were right."

"About?"

"I needed to learn to just be with someone and let them be them and let me be me and not make it into this whole drama."

He nods. "Right. I said that."

"Yeah, and Marty is...great. We were friends and then, one day, I turned around and he was there and he's kind and caring. He puts up with Paris, which I've come to terms that it is, in fact, a requirement for whomever I'm with. He gets along with my mom, my grandparents, Lane. We have so much in common, but not so much that there's no room for a good debate. We watch the same movies, and he's always willing to try something new."

"Good."

She nods. "You learn to be with yourself, yet?"

He nods back, very deliberate. "Yeah. I did. Look, I need to be somewhere. So I'll see you, tomorrow at seven-thirty?"

"Yeah. Seven-thirty. I know the perfect place, too, so dress cas."

* * *

"You're having dinner with Jess?"

"Yeah. What's the big?"

"Oh, I don't know. It's Jess. The last time he picked you up, you slept together."

"Mom."

"What about Marty?"

"Marty and I are very happy. He knows about Jess, he knows about the dinner. He's fine."

"Well, what about Jess?"

"What?"

"Does he know about Marty?"

"Yeah. He met Marty; he knows we're serious and that I'm happy. Look, we're having dinner. We're talking about his book."

"Oh, you read the book?"

"Yeah."

"What'd you think?"

"I thought it felt very Jess."

"I haven't read it, but Luke did, and he says its one long love letter to you."

"Well, it isn't."

"You're the first person listed in the dedications."

"So?"

"Well, obviously, he still loves you."

"And I still love him. But I'm with Marty, I love Marty, and the time is never, ever right for Jess and me. That ship has sailed, sunk and become a very pretty, but ultimately useless-to-me, reef. We're just friends."

"Does Jess know that?"

"He doesn't have a reason to think otherwise."

"Whenever you guys are together, or see each other, someone gets hurt or you both do. I don't want you getting hurt, Rory."

"We're having dinner; we're talking about a book. We used to do it all the time."

"And how did that end for you?"

"Goodbye, _Emily_."

"Oh, devil child!"

"Seriously, though, I have to go. Jess is at the door."

"Bye, babe. Have fun talking about books."

She hangs up, Marty already getting the door. "Jess, hey."

"Marty. Hey." He looks Marty up, shoes and jacket complete. "Are you coming with us?"

"Oh, no. Read the book, though. Cable went out."

"Paris," Rory interjects.

"It was good. My uncle-father is in town, so he wants to hang out, bond. I don't really know how I feel about it, but he's enthusiastic. I liked the climax."

"What?"

Rory explains, "Of the book. He likes the way the climax was anti-climactic."

"You have the brain of a Gilmore, Marty."

"But I'm only half as pretty," he offers before kissing Rory quickly. "If he gets there before me, he'll start drinking, and I'd like a sober perspective on...anything whatsoever."

"Bye," she offers.

When Marty is out the door, latch clicked behind him, Jess asks as Rory gathers her handbag, "Uncle-father?"

"Oh, Marty found out last year that his uncle is his father and his father is his uncle. Uncle-father is Jerry, his biological father, the guy he thought was his uncle. Father-uncle is his uncle who he thought was his father. They get along really well now that they don't have that father-son relationship."

"And that's your boyfriend."

She smiles. "Indeed. But, he gets free food from work, so his way to my heart was very well paved for him."

"Ah." He nods sagely, "That is the way it's done. You ready?"

"Yeah, let's hit the road, Jack."

* * *

"So, you liked it?"

"Oh, no, no. I loved it. It was so you, it just sounded like you and felt like you." She shakes her head, setting down her drink. "I want everyone to read this book. And what is Truncheon? I didn't think there's a publisher I hadn't heard of, but there you go, I've never heard of Truncheon."

"It's...my company."

"Yours? As in, belongs to you?"

He shrugs, lifts his beer. "A few guys and mine, yeah." He takes a pull. "We just decided to do it, take the plunge. It's why I'm in Philly; Matt and Chris are both from there and it's a lot easier, business-wise. We have a space, live above it."

"That is so cool!"

"I'm back to sharing a place with two other guys. Not ideal."

"But! It's a place above your publishing company. Yours."

He smiles at her. "Yeah, I guess. We're hoping to start putting out a 'zine next year, sometime in the first quarter. Probably have a party when we're officially set up."

"Oh, am I invited?"

Jess nods. "Always."

"Cool. Do I have to bring a gift?"

He laughs. "No. It's a launch, not a birthday."

"I'm bringing you something, anyway. It's a big day and it needs to be commemorated with a big gift. Not physically, but emotively."

"Yeah. I'll send you and Marty an invite when the time comes."

"Well, unless Paris and I have gotten together by then."

"In which case, I'll invite you, not her."

"Paris has that affect on people. Speaking of lesbian affairs, anyone on your radar?"

"Well, Matt's sister Andrea seems to check out his girlfriend more than he does."

She smiles. "I mean for you. Or are you just living with the being with yourself thing?"

"Rory..."

"Look, I know it isn't my business, but I want you to be happy. You should meet people, experience new things."

He sits back, annoyed. "You're doing it."

"What?" she asks, confused. She leans forward. "What am I doing?"

"Telling me what to do with my life," he says, jaw starting to tighten.

"Jess"

"I don't need your advice. I know it's good intentions, but I've told you not to do it for a reason." He shakes his head, pulling out his wallet. "You aren't my mom, my sister or my girlfriend."

"Oh, please, I didn't get a say in your life when I _was_ your girlfriend."

"Take a hint!" He throws some bills on the table. "I'll drive you home."

"Fine," she says, following him out. "I just thought...Whatever, apparently, I'm not your friend either."

He turns back just outside the doorway as the words leave her mouth. "You already knew that."

"What?"

"I told you that a year ago. What did you think had changed?"

"Can we seriously not spend an hour together without fighting?"

"What did you think had changed?" he demands.

"I'll catch a cab."

He grabs her arm, and she could shake it off easily but does not. "What did you think was so different?"

"You came to see me, Jess! You said yes to dinner."

"I haven't been able to say no to you for a while and you know it." He lets go of her. "I'm always going to say yes and I hate it. It's why I stayed away for over a year, why I moved and changed my entire life. I'm always going to be waiting for you."

"And I'll be waiting for you until my hair is gray, Jess."

"What?"

"I hate this, every time we see each other, we fight." She sighs, shaking her head. "I love you and I'm always going to love you, but we still wouldn't work, not then, like you said. And not now. Neither of us are mature or responsible enough to deal with anything that could happen.

"The time is always wrong for us, we're never quite right for each other. This isn't serendipity, Jess. Face it, we suck. We always want each other and we're never right for each other. We haven't been on the same page since we were seventeen. I do believe we were reading Finney."

"Achebe," he corrected.

"The point is, we don't work. Not then, not now, maybe not ever. It's been pretty obvious for a while. I don't see why we can't be friends."

He pushes a hand through his hair, drained and pale. "Because I can't be _just_ your friend," he admits quietly.

She nods, takes a few steps back until she hits the doorpost. "Right. Makes sense. I mean, last time..."

"We've never been just friends. You know it. There's always something."

"Some things change."

"Not all of them, though."

"Yeah." She nods, steps away from the doorpost to where he could touch her if he liked.

* * *

"How'd things go?" Luke wonders when he walks into the apartment.

He heads straight for the fridge and pulls out a beer before dropping onto the couch next to his uncle.

"That well?"

"Not bad. We worked a few things out. We fought, but that's us." He takes a pull from the brown bottle. "We're okay for now. She loved the book."

"I told you, didn't I?" He hobbles up, heading for the fridge. "I said she'd love it. It's a great book. You're doing good, kid."

"Yeah. I tell you I met Marty?"

He shrugs. "Lorelai mentioned it. He's a good kid." He pulls a beer out of the fridge.

"His uncle is his father, so we got something in common."

Luke heads back. "Except in his case, it's a little creepy."

"Yeah." He takes another pull on his bottle. "She seems happy, though."

"She does. She is. Did she tell you? She made editor at the paper."

"Yeah. She's making one of the poor saps review the book."

Luke smiles, takes a drink. "Sounds like Rory."

Jess sighs, slams the rest of his beer.

"You all right?"

"I still love her. And sheshe still loves me. And I can't do anything about it."

Luke shifts, puts his feet up. "Why's that?"

"We don't work. And I can't fuck up something that does work for her so she can spend a few months being miserable before I take off again."

"You didn't actually finish that book I gave you, did you?"

Jess lifts an eyebrow at him.

"It's fruity, okay, but it works. I used it, and I've been with Lorelai more than a year. We're engaged, we're getting married."

"Rory and I don't fit, Luke," he offers, getting up and heading back to the fridge.

"Bull." He shakes his head. "No, you and Rory have always fit, I've always thought so."

"Says the man who took eight years to make a move."

Luke stands up, following him. "You can't expect something to just happen and be good. A relationship is work from both parties. Nurturing and attention are the keys to a flourishing relationship. Running away from love will gain you nothing but loneliness."

"I thought you were over this guru crap," Jess notes, turning from the fridge with another open beer.

"So did I, but then some numbskull showed up and started drinking all of my beer."

* * *

"How'd things go?"

"Fine. We fought, but, what's new? Marty isn't home yet, so I thought I'd call and say 'hey'. How's Luke?"

"Staying at the diner tonight, getting in some quality bonding time with Jess."

"Oh, can you even picture that?"

"I envision a lot of awkward silence."

"'So, Luke.'"

"'So, Jess.'"

"'So.'"

"'Yeah.'"

"We should take it to Broadway; turn it into a ravishing musical number."

"Oh, it'd run longer than _Cats_. Hey, do you think they talk when they're together? I mean, maybe they have real conversations?"

"Oh, honey, no. The co-Kings of the Monosyllable? I don't see much outside of a mention of beer, a passing reference to baseball, Luke making fun of Jess's hair."

"I don't know. Maybe you're right."

"I'm right."

"But Jess just has so much to say about everything. You don't think he talks to Luke?"

"You're the only person who ever thinks of Jess as even approaching chatty."

"I guess. I just want him to have someone he can talk to. And not like May."

"But he could make the perfect friend."

"And on that creepy note..."

"Nice stems."

"Stop it! You know that freaks me out. New subject."

"Doyle back yet?"

"Yeah. He walked in this morning, went straight to their room and I haven't seen either of them since."

"Oh, ew."

"Oh, yeah. It's Paris and Doyle starring in _9 Weeks 2: Electric Boogaloo_."

"Now who's trying to freak who out?"

"At least you know I come by it honestly."

"That's my girl."

"I think they might last this time."

"So you had to go and jinx it to damnation, babe? That's a weird variety of problem solving."

"And no one around to do the no jinxes move with. Sad."

"So, gotta wonder, will you be mad if I say something?"

"Depends on what you say."

"You're very, very ugly."

"Now, that's just mean. It's about Jess, right?"

"Right."

"Shoot."

"Okay, I just can't help but wonder if you're being fair to Marty."

"How is that about Jess?"

"You love Jess, right? Is it really fair to Marty if you're always pining after Jess?"

"I'm not pining. And, yes, I love Jess, but I love Marty, too. Marty knows the situation; I've told him all of the important stuff"

"What does that mean?"

"I've told him everything important. I love Jess, I've slept with Jess, we had a difficult relationship, we fight a lot. That sort of stuff."

"Does he know you cheated on Dean with Jess?"

"Well, that is important. Yeah, he knows I kissed Jess when I was with Dean. We talked about it, he's a little jealous but everything is fine."

"I just don't want you or Marty to get hurt."

"Neither of us will get hurt, Mom. We're happy, and we love each other." 


	4. The Real Jess Mariano

**All the Words** **They are not friends** **The characters and world within do not belong to me.**

* * *

The

Real Jess Mariano

* * *

"Of all the gin joints, in all the cities, in all the world."

"You invited me. Hey."

"Hey. No Marty?"

She shakes her head. "Not for awhile, now."

"Sorry."

She smiles. "No you aren't." After a pause, she offers, "He wanted to get married, I didn't. I'm okay."

He changes the subject. "So, the review was great."

"See? I told you."

"And you didn't bully Logan Huntzberger into writing it?"

"No. It was perfect for him, because it didn't require a lot of research. Read a book, write a few hundred words." She nods. "He had it in on time and everything, even if his dad isn't impressed with the beat."

"His dad?"

"Mitchum Huntzberger. He gave me an internship last year at the Stamford Eagle-Gazette, let me stay on during the summer, mostly as a fact checker. I got a few pieces in, though. He thought it would buy Logan a better beat, 'cause I was a shoe-in for editor, but Logan doesn't want a better beat and I don't need that annoyance."

He smirks. "Well, don't we have friends in high places?"

She returns it with a grin. "I'm networking. Besides, he knows my grandparents, so it was probably going to come into the picture sooner or later."

"Well, it works, then."

"Yes it does." She takes a second, looks around and at him. "You have a great place here."

He smiles. "I know."

"I don't get all of the art"

"Who does?"

"But I like it."

"You want a beer or a soda or something?"

She nods, follows him. "Beer sounds good."

"Well, look at you," he offers.

"I'm twenty-one," she defends half-heartedly. "I know the pleasures of booze. The pitfalls, too, but we aren't talking about that."

He nods, handing her a drink. "How's school?"

"Good. I'm on track, which is good." She shrugs, taking a drink. "I'm kind of glad summer is coming, though. I figure I'll look for an internship or a job at a paper or something. I didn't do that between my freshman and sophomore years. Everything was weird, and I just ended up going to Europe with my grandma. Good life experience, even the second time around, but not so handy on a rsum."

"Well, all work and no play."

"Damn straight." She smiles. "What about you? What have you been up to?"

He gestures around vaguely. "This."

"Well, look at you, Jack? Nothing else? No biker gangs or Japanese game shows?"

"No, but I am a famous porn star in Belgium now. I don't quite know how it happened, but Quaaludes are funny like that."

"Oh, yeah, I think I saw a thing on _Dateline_ about that."

"Yeah, I was the guy in the shadows."

She grins. "I knew that mechanized voice sounded familiar."

"You're happy."

"Yeah." She nods, crosses one arm over her chest. "I am. What about you?"

He nods, surprised. "I am."

"Good."

"Jess," comes from her left, his right, and they turn to see Luke and April. "And Rory. Hey, didn't know you were coming."

She nods as they meander over. "Jess invited me. Hey, April."

"Hi, Rory. Have you seen some of this art?"

"Oh, yeah. It's...interesting."

"Oh, Jess, this is your cousin, April."

Jess nods. "Hey."

"The men in this family aren't chatty."

"Yeah," Rory offers. "It's why they're so fond of us Gilmores."

"Who are overly chatty. I suppose it could create a distributive balance."

"Exactly our intent," Jess offers.

Rory looks between Luke and Jess quickly, and then at April. "Hey, let's go get a soda. Maybe we can interpret some of the art."

"I think it's a lost cause," April notes, allowing herself to be led away.

Luke watches them. "Subtlety isn't her strong suit."

Jess shrugs. "I don't think she really cared." After a pause, a few moments of quiet between them, he offers, "I'm glad you came."

"Well, I was in the neighborhood." After another pause, he says, "I didn't know you'd invited her."

"Told her I would."

"She's not with Marty, anymore."

"Now who sucks at subtlety?"

Luke reaches up to adjust a cap that is not there. "Just thought I'd put it out there."

"Yeah, yeah. She already told me." He smiles. "You still set on that, Uncle Luke?"

"I think you two are good together, always have."

"It's not gonna happen. Sorry to disappoint you, but she's got her life and I have mine and we're both happy."

Luke smirks. "So, if she propositioned you, you'd say no?"

"Oh, well now, sex isn't the same as a relationship."

"And now _I_ finally have something to blame you for. I gotta find a therapist."

"I have some numbers. Get them from me before you leave." He looks at Luke inquisitively. "You're hanging around for awhile?"

"Yeah. I'll be sure to say bye before we take off."

Jess turns, looks at Rory and April. "Seems like a good kid. Little weird."

Luke nods. "That she is. I don't know. I think she likes me."

"Always a plus."

"Yeah." He smiles. "She reminds me of Rory at that age. More science than books, you know? But there's a lot of that there."

"Smart?"

"Smarter than me and you together."

"Well, smarter than you isn't much of a feat," Jess offers. "You want anything? We have soda, beer."

Luke shrugs. "I'm good. Should I, ah, let you get back to your mingling?"

"Nah, haven't been mingling much. Matt and Chris do enough of that for six of me." He shakes his head, takes a drink from his beer. "I think she's recording us."

"What?"

Jess points over to Rory and she puts down a phone, offers a smile. "She's recording us."

"She and Lorelai have a thing going. Lorelai thinks we don't talk, Rory thinks we do."

"Couldn't you just tell Lorelai?"

"She doesn't want to lose. I'm not going to be the bearer of bad news."

Jess glances over at her again where she still holds up the phone, but more surreptitiously. He waves, lifts his beer in salute and she scowls. In return, he laughs. "Keep 'em guessing. Why doesn't Lorelai think we talk? For that, why does Rory think we do?"

"Lorelai considers us 'co-Kings of the Monosyllable'. Maybe a 'hey', small talk on baseball or beer, hair and hats, then three hours of awkward silence. Rory doesn't know what she thinks, but she hopes we talk."

Jess raises both eyebrows. "Dear God, why?"

Luke shrugs. "She wants you to have someone to talk to or something like that." At Jess' look, he offers, "She cares."

"That's Rory," he offers. He shakes his head, looks back at his uncle. "How is Lorelai?"

"Good. Wedding's all planned. June third, save the date."

"You knock her up yet?"

"Yeah," Luke offers, nodding.

Jess sputters the beer he was drinking. "What? I was joking."

Luke grins at him. "So was I."

"I hate you."

"No, you don't."

Rory scurries over, tells Jess, "I won't forgive you for that. She's gonna think I staged it."

"Don't show her that part?" he says, smirking.

"How lucky are you that I love you, huh Mariano?" she throws out, starting back toward April.

He watches her go, tosses out a "Very?" When he turns back to Luke, the man is smiling. "God, what now?"

"She said she loves you."

"She says it all the time," he points out.

"Well, I've never heard it. You don't, y'know, say it back?"

Jess rolls his eyes. "Come on, Luke."

Luke puts up his hands in defense. "Just how I thought it was done."

"Gilmore," Jess calls out, giving Luke a thoroughly humoring glance.

"Mariano," she returns, twirling on a heel.

He gives a small salutation with his near-empty bottle. "Love you, too."

She waves him off, turns back the way she was going.

"She doesn't believe you?" Luke wonders.

"She already knows. It's entirely superfluous." He points at his uncle, "And I'm getting shit from the guys for that. You better be satisfied."

"So, you two just aren't normal?"

Jess considers it, drinks the last of his beer before nodding. "Basically."

* * *

The party dwindles until just the guys and Rory remain. The guys go out, Jess stays behind.

"So," she wonders, wandering around. "Upstairs as nice as down here?"

He shrugs, hands deep in his pockets. "Did you wanna see?"

Rory turns. She looks at him, intently, and considers it. "Unless you don't want me to."

"Nope." He walks over, takes her hand, and starts leading her to the stairs. "You can see it."

"Cool. Is it nice? Or is it a scary pit? I've lived with guys, and I've come to the conclusion it can be very not pretty."

"Well, we have all the office crap strewn all over up there, but we're pretty clean for a bunch of guys," he offers.

"So, cluttered, but no weird smells," she offers.

"Exactly." He turns when they reach the upstairs, open living quarters behind him. "So we're clear?"

She nods certainly. "I'm up for it. It's your choice, or we can have tea and talk about James Frey."

"My choice?"

"Well, you're the one that regretted it last time," she points out.

"Hey"

Rory shakes her head. "Say no if you don't want to, if it'll mess up things, if you have something else going on, if you want to catch up with the guys. I don't want to push anything on you, Jess. I can go either way."

"Way to make me seem like a chick," he says, but kisses her anyway.

"We friends?" she wonders between one kiss and another.

It takes him a minute to process before he nods.

* * *

He is already awake when she gets up. He offers, softly, "Hey."

"Hey." She smiles. "I smell bacon."

"It's turkey. Matt doesn't eat red meat."

She nods, closes her eyes and rests back against him. "Not worth getting up, then."

He runs a hand down her arm, up, down. "I hate to break it to you, but I have to get up eventually, anyway."

"Oh, come on." She shakes her head and rolls over, chest to chest. "This is a good morning. I am very comfortable. Don't ruin it."

"I have a business meeting."

She blinks and then laughs. "That's so weird."

"Oh, well," he offers, hand running over her back, the other holding hers. "I do that now."

"I know. Do you know how often I hear it, though? Never. Except from my mom or grandpa. It's weird. Nice, but weird. And I disagree with it."

"You just said it was nice."

She nods, kisses his chest. "But it means you have to leave." Another kiss. "Which means I should probably leave." Another kiss.

"It isn't a requirement."

She shakes her head. Another kiss. "I have a paper meeting at two." Another kiss. "Is this working at all?"

"I've considered twelve lies to get out of my business meeting. The problem lies in that my business partners are only a few rooms away."

"You're very sick," she offers. "I must nurse you back to health." She gives him a smile, bites her lip.

"That's very sexy," he says.

"The nurse thing? 'Cause I can get a costume if it helps my case."

He shakes his head. "The lip thing."

She nods. "Then I'm gonna stop doing it to the coffee cart guy."

"Mmhmm," he offers.

"That wasn't even approaching an intelligent response. What time is it?"

He looks down at her. "Seven-thirty. I'm tired."

"Can't imagine why," she replies.

"Uuh-mmm."

She wraps the sheet around herself as she sits up. "All right. I guess I'll go, then."

He grabs her at the waist and pulls her back down. "You were the one who didn't want to get up."

"Oh, I'm getting my way?" She hunkered down against him. "I like when that happens."

"We have to leave for the meeting by nine. I have a little time."

She shakes her head. "You have an hour-and-a-half. You can do a lot in an hour-and-a-half."

"I need to shower. They frown upon it when you walk in smelling like sex. And they get jealous."

"Killjoys." After a few minutes of quiet, muttering can be heard outside the doorway.

"Shouldn't he be up?"

"He didn't come out to the bar last night. Maybe he's sick?"

"Maybe he went with that girl."

"I was sure he was gay. No, I'm sure he's gay."

"Maybe he found a guy. He talked to that older guy for awhile."

"I think that was Luke."

"Maybe it was that girl. The one who hung around all night."

"Is that who he said he loved?"

"He called her...Glory?"

"Lauren?"

"I think it started with a G."

She pokes Jess in the ribs. "They think you're gay?"

"It's all those gigolos I bring home," he offers, tiredly.

"Oh, well, there is that."

From outside the door: "I think he's talking to someone."

"Does it sound like a guy or a girl?"

"I don't know. I think...a girl?"

"Yes," she answers. "Well, woman, and, by Gloria Steinem, I won't let you forget it."

"I told you it was Gloria."

"Gloria Steinem is a famous feminist, moron."

Jess groans. "You talked to them."

"Has he ever mentioned a girlfriend?" wonders one.

"Has he ever mentioned a _girl_" asks the other.

"He mentioned a Liz once."

"That's his mom, pervo."

"Lane can be a girl's name, can't it?"

"He hooked her, or him, up with an artist for her, or his, album cover. Business only."

"Lane's a girl," Rory offered.

"Oh. Thanks," returns one before wondering, "What's your name?"

Jess shakes his head and pulls her against him. "Ignore them."

"I'm Trixie," she offers with a smile. "He said he'd publish my book."

After a long silence, one wonders, "Is that a joke?"

"Yeah. I'm Rory."

They turn it over a few times. "I don't recognize the name," admits one.

Jess hurls his pillow at the door. "Lorelai the younger, you morons. Go away."

"Book girl," says one, sagely. "See, I told you there was a book girl, you just thought he was gay."

"Well, we've all lived here for almost a year and he hasn't brought a girl home."

"Or a guy." Louder, as if they cannot hear every word, he offers, "It's nice to meet you, book girl. Lorelai the younger. Rory. Whichever moniker you prefer."

"Rory's good," she offers. "You're Matt and Chris?"

"Only if Jess doesn't kill us. In which case we would be Formerly Matt and Formerly Chris."

"I'll keep him busy while you run."

"Go the hell away!" Jess calls.

"Wait, can one of you do me a favor?" she wonders, scrambling out of the bed with the sheet wrapped around her.

"Sure?" replies one, then the other.

"What are you doing, Ror?"

She looks back at him as she scoops up her purse. "Will either of them steal my car if I ask them to grab something out of it?"

"Probably not."

"Then I'm having one of them grab the bag I packed out of my trunk," she offers, pulling her keys out. She pads over to the door and hides behind it. "Okay, there's a silver first-gen Prius just, across the street. In the trunk, there's a brown bag. I need that." She separates the keys on the ring, holding up the car key. "Either of you up to it?"

* * *

"You came with the intention of seducing me," he notes at her car.

"I have no idea what you mean, Mr. Mariano," she insists.

He raises an eyebrow. "Packed bag, toothbrush, prophylactics"

"Better safe than sorry?"

He shakes his head. "You had intentions, Miss Gilmore."

"I may or may not have had some less-than-concrete expectations."

"So you're just using me for my body?"

"Oh, no, any guy who writes a book has a chance."

He nods and kisses her softly. "I'll be seeing you."

"You're coming to the wedding, right?"

"June third."

She nods, kisses him again. "See you then."

* * *

"So, Mariano's been hiding a long-distance sweetheart," Matt accuses as Jess walks back in.

Jess shakes his head. "I need to shower."

Chris inquires, "What's the big secret? She's cute, seems nice, probably a complete brain knowing you."

"She's a friend," he replies, heading for his room.

"Right. A friend." Chris smirks after him. "I need more friends like that."

"Mind if I borrow her?" wonders Matt. "I'm always looking for new friends."

Jess slams back out of his room. "Do whatever you want."

Matt and Chris exchange glance, Chris wondering, "What's up, man?"

"Nothing, nothing is up. She wants to be friends, we'll be friends. She wants benefits, there'll be benefits because I largely lack the faculty to think with my brain instead of my heart or my dick the second she walks into a room. I thought I could deal with it, but I can't because I'm a dumbass," he rants before slamming the door to the bathroom behind him. The water starts and the door opens again to reveal Jess, hair wet and towel around his waist. "Stay the fuck away from her."

Once he disappears back into the bathroom, Chris makes note, "That might be why he doesn't bring her up."

"And she seemed so nice." Matt shakes his head. "If I'd known she was a bitch, I probably wouldn't have looked down her top."

"Yes, you would've."

"Well, I might've felt bad about it."

"No, you wouldn't've."

"Well, I would've made it more obvious, to make her uncomfortable."

"Probably."

* * *

"Where are you?"

"I'm getting on the interstate."

"Wait, are you still in Pennsylvania?"

"Yeah."

"You stayed all night?"

"Yes."

"You slept with Jess?"

"Yes. We didn't fight. That part was a little weird, threw the whole thing off balance."

"You and Marty _just_ broke up."

"Six weeks ago. Look, Jess and I are friends."

"Who occasionally have sex?"

"It's pretty common."

"Oh, yeah, can you bring up statistics?"

"They're in the Yale database. I can check when I get back to campus if you want."

"Okay, hon, this needs to stop."

"I'm not going to get hurt, Mom."

"He is."

"Wait, what?"

"Jess is head-over-heels in love with you, babe."

"He was fine with it. We talked about it beforehand, he was fine this morning."

"I don't want you to hate yourself when you break his heart."

"I'm not going to...Can we talk about something else?"

"No. Jess can't get over you because, face it, you're a hard act to follow. But every time you see each other, he gets set back."

"He's the one who didn't want a relationship."

"Didn't, then. You guys either need to move on or have a serious talk."

"You think he wants something?"

"I think you need to talk to him about it before he starts doing embarrassing things in the grand tradition of Ryan Reynolds."

"That movie sucked."

"Kind of my point."

"But..."

"What?"

"I used to want something. I don't know if I do anymore. I love Jess, and I like kissing him and...other things. But am I really ready for another relationship? Especially one with Jess? If that's even what he wants?"

"You could bring it up."

"Marty and I were together for a while. I think I just need to breathe."

"Then you can't lead Jess on."

"Are you serious?"

"I am. God, you two are like _The Notebook_ meets _Love Kills_."

"Except without the him killing me part."

"I think you're Sid right now, hon."

"Give me a hint if you're just messing with me."

"I'm not, babe. You say you care about Jess. Don't take this wrong, but you need to start acting like it."

"I'll see him at the wedding. I guess I'll talk to him after?"

"He'll be in town the whole week to help at the diner while my man and I consummate."

"So I'll talk to him between bouts of nausea."

"Atta girl." 


	5. Wedding Bells Ring, Are You Listening?

**All the Words  
****They are not friends  
****The characters and world within do not belong to me.**

* * *

Wedding Bells Ring

* * *

"Hey."

"Mom?"

"Yeah, babe."

"Okay, you sound...weird."

"Jess RSVPed for two. I don't know how you feel about that."

"It's fine. If he has a date, y'know, good for him. If he's bringing a friend, that's fine, too."

"You're okay with this?"

"Yeah. I thought about bringing a date."

"You did?"

"Yes. I still am. Jess and I aren't together; we don't owe each other anything."

* * *

Rory taps her pencil. She needs a date. A maybe-date, just in case Jess has a real-date. She looks around the newsroom. Glenn is a bust, so is Kyle. Jerry is only eighteen. Logan is Logan.

She pauses. Logan is Logan. He will understand the value of a favor.

She pushes up from her chair before sauntering over to his desk, only to find him, true to form, playing Solitaire. "Logan."

He salutes poorly. "Chief. I'll have it in ASAP."

"You don't have an assignment, Logan. I wanted to ask you a favor."

"A favor?" He shakes his head. "Not my business, doll face. Beat it, scram, find some other sap."

"I need a date. And I'll owe you."

He raises both eyebrows. "I can't imagine that you have any trouble finding dates."

"I need a fake-maybe-date."

"I can't say I follow, Ace."

She sighs. "My mother is getting married; my ex will be there"

"Jordy?"

She pauses and then shakes her head. "No. Anyway, he'll be there. He RSVPed for two, and I need to have someone on call so I don't look desperate in case his date is a date-date and not just a friend."

"You are a weird girl."

"Will you do it?"

He considers it. "Depends."

"Open bar at the reception."

"I'm in. Now, I assume that as it is a 'just in case' date, you'll find out if his date is a friend or more and then contact me regarding plans."

She nods. "Yeah. Sounds good."

"When is it?"

"June third."

"You're cutting it tight, Ace, but I'll dress to the right."

She shakes her head. "Don't ever explain that to me."

"Okay. And, correct me if I'm wrong, this means you'll owe me a favor."

"Yeah, I'll owe you."

Logan smirks, unnervingly. "I'll keep that in mind. Now scram, doll face, I got business to tend to."

"I want you out of my newsroom, Huntzberger."

He stands up, grabbing his jacket. "I could damn near marry you for that, Ace."

"I'll let Mitchum know you feel that way."

* * *

"You RSVPed for two."

"Mom?"

"Decided on that date?"

"Yeah. Just a friend from school."

"A friend? A Lane-friend or a Jess-friend."

"Uhm, neither. He wanted to see the town and all the crazies."

"So, a casual friend?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"How do you know him?"

"I met him through Marty."

"And he'll be okay with Marty if he goes to my wedding with you?"

"They aren't friends. Marty's bartended a few of his parties."

"Ah. A Richie Rich."

"I guess. It isn't anyone you know."

"And you aren't just doing this to, I don't know, get back at Jess or avoid looking pathetic when your ex shows up with a date and you don't?"

"No, I'm doing this because he thought it sounded fun and he's a good guy."

"Hon"

"I have class. I'll see you later."

* * *

"I'm so late," Rory calls out by way of apology. "I'm sorry, there was an accident on the freeway and they detoured everything to Ansonia and I have no internal sense of navigation." She hurries into the living room, only to find Jess and Chris. "Oh, hey. Jess, hi. And, Chris, right?"

"Yep," he replies brusquely. "Good to see you again."

"Yeah, you too. I thought the bridal party was getting ready here and the grooms...party was at the inn."

"Michel," explains Jess, simply.

She nods. "Right. So, how are we doing this, then?"

"Lorelai, Sookie and Lane are upstairs. Paris was, but she huffed off when she realized you weren't here yet. Patty and Babette are barred for their helpful suggestions."

"Right. Uhm, can you let them know I'll be a second? I have a friend coming and I want to see if he got caught in the traffic."

Jess nods and walks over to the stairs, calling up, "Rory'll be up in a few minutes."

Rory blinks. "That makes sense, too. I'll be right back," she offers, rushing back through the front door.

* * *

"Sorry, Ace."

"What?"

"There's a detour. So, we know the game plan?"

"Friends, totally casual."

"Do you even need me?"

"I guess not, if you don't want to come."

"It's not that. My dad is shipping me off to London tonight."

"Business, then. Hey, go hang out with your friends. I'll just say you couldn't make it."

"You could do that. Or you could say that I really, really wanted to meet that magnificent author who I reviewed"

"How did you know that?"

"Oh, I don't know. You made sure his book got reviewed, the book he dedicated to you. You always have a copy of it with you"

"Am I that transparent?"

"Also, I might have asked your grandparents."

"Huntzberger, Huntzberger, Huntzberger."

"Yeah, yeah, Ace. What'll you do about it?"

"Tell you to get out there with Colin and Finn and the group."

"Robert says hi, by the way. I think he still has a thing for you."

"Get out there, Huntzberger. Enjoy your last hours of freedom."

"You're aces, Doll face. I'd kiss you if I could."

"It would defeat the point. Bye, Logan."

"See you on the other side, Ace."

* * *

"Man, she brought a date?"

Jess looks over at Chris. "What?"

"She brought a date, when she knew you'd be here."

"She's bringing a friend. I did the same thing."

Chris shakes his head in disbelief. "Man, I'm here to keep you from doing something stupid. With her, if I may be so bold. I doubt the mystery man can say the same."

"It doesn't matter if it is a date, anyway, Chris. She and I are friends and that isn't changing."

"Oh, come on, you love her and she knows it."

Jess shakes his head. "I just want to get through this as painlessly as possible. Play nice."

Chris shakes his head right back. "She has your cahones, man."

The door opens again and Rory offers, still putting her phone into her purse, "Sorry. I guess he isn't coming."

"Sucks," Chris mutters.

She gives him a look, confused, but nods. "Yeah." She looks at Jess. "Uhm, it was Logan, actually."

He shakes his head in confusion. "Logan?"

"Logan Huntzberger? He did the review of _The Subsect_ in the Daily News. I said you'd be here and he wanted to meet you."

"What?"

"Well, I told him you'd be here and he wanted to talk to you. He can't make it, though. Business. He has to fly to London, last minute."

"I'm sure," mutters Chris

"Wait, though, I want to get a chance to talk to you. I know mom said you'd be in town for awhile but I don't know if plans changed?"

"I'll be here until the twelfth."

"Great. I wanted to talk to you about something and it's...big, maybe. Important. So...don't let me avoid you."

He watches her hurry up the stairs and then turns back to Chris.

"Shut up, Mariano."

* * *

She opens the door to the diner as she bids Logan a telephoned farewell, hangs up and there Jess is, wiping down the counter.

"Hey."

He looks up. "Hey."

"Where's Chris?"

"His sister's having a baby, so he's headed down to the city. How's Logan?"

She shrugs. "I don't know."

"Weren't you just talking to him?"

"He called me about two minutes ago to say sorry for not making it. We didn't have much of a conversation 'cause I crossed the street and then I was here and I had to say 'bye'."

He raises an eyebrow. "Why's that?"

After a beat, she points to the sign behind him, taking a stool. "No cell phones allowed in the diner."

"Could've stood out there and talked to him."

"I came here to talk to you, not Logan."

He nods seriously. "Right, the talk I'm not supposed to let you avoid."

"Yeah, that one." She nods. "We're good, right?"

"Friends?" he asks.

"No." She shakes her head, looks up. They are close, so she leans forward and kisses him.

"Don't do that," he says after he pulls away. "If you want to talk, talk. Don't say were talking if this is a...booty call."

"Did you just say booty call?"

"For lack of a better available term, yeah." He sighs. "Out with it, Ror. I'm tired."

"What if it is?"

He looks at her seriously, face shielded. "Then go home."

"It isn't. A...booty call. It isn't why I'm here. Just wondered."

"Then why are you?" he asks.

"We're good at that part. The physical stuff, right?"

"What?"

"It's good, when we're together, right?

He sighs. "It's gr...It's good, yeah. From the limited sampling."

"Yeah. But then..."

"Then," he confirms. "It's good and then...it isn't."

"'Cause then...I hurt you." She looks down.

Jess sighs and turns around to toss the rag into the bucket. "I don't want to have this conversation."

She reaches out but stops short. "What?"

"I don't want to have this conversation," he repeats, turning around. "I don't want to talk about this. I really don't want to have the friends talk, or whatever label you want to put on it."

"Jess"

"Not again, not right now. Can we just go through this week without that?"

"It isn"

"Please."

She looks down, contemplative, before she looks back up and says quickly, "I love you."

"I'm so tired of this," he replies. "Everyt-"

"Shut up, Jess," she demands. "I'm not here to be friends, okay? I love you, and I'm going to be in Philadelphia all summer at this...newspaper job for Mitchum Huntzberger. It's been...three years and I feel really stupid because I'm twenty-one and it makes me feel about fifteen but...will you be my boyfriend?"

He just stands there for a few seconds and then notes, "That isn't the friends speech."

She shakes her head. "No. It's the 'I love you and I want to be with you' speech. Which, in retrospect, would've been a perfectly acceptable way to say the thing I said before without feeling all 'check yes or no'." She wrings her hands. After a second, she offers, "I love you and I want to be with you. So, if you could say something, I would really appreciate that."

"What am I supposed to say?"

"Uh, well, yes is preferable. There's also...no. Which isn't preferred. Or...something. I mean...did I miss my chance?"

He looks at her seriously but confused. "What?"

"I've spent the past few years just yanking you around, so I can understand if I did. If...you're with someone or you don't love me anymore or"

"I'm never gonna not love you," he admits quietly. "You aren't happy."

"What? I'm happy. I'm actually very happy."

"Last time I saw you, you were happy. You were...I don't know. You were shining with it." He shakes his head. "I don't want you to be with me to make you happy. I can't do that."

"I'm happy, Jess."

"You've been distant and jittery and uncomfortable all day."

"You're stupid."

"What?"

"I've been nervous about this all day, this talking to you," she says. "I'm happy. Nervous, but happy."

"You're happy?"

"I'm walking on sunshine. It feels great. I love my life and my family, my friends, my college, my job, my apartments. The one in New Haven and the one in Philadelphia, 'cause I have a job there for the summer and am going even if you hate me and say no."

"I don't hate you and I'm not," he starts and stops. "I'm not saying no."

She nods, starting to smile. "Are you saying yes?"

"Your job is for the summer, and then you'll be back at Yale. I'll still be in Philly, and it's more than twenty-some miles to there."

Resolutely, Rory insists, "I'm willing to make it work."

"I..." he starts and does not finish, just sighs.

She bites her lip and waits.

"I'm saying yes."

She grins. "I'm really glad you're saying yes."

He glances back at the clock. "Time to close up."

"Right. So...I should go."

"Right. Or."

"Or?"

He shrugs. "You could stay."

"Here with you?"

"Yeah." He nods. "So we're clear..."

"'Cause when we're together, it's good?"

He nods. "Great."

"We're clear."

* * *

She scrambles for her bag as the phone trills. "I hate you. I hate you. I hate you." She grasps the phone and answers. "I hate you."

"Hey, babe. I approve of all things naked at this moment. And all things breakfast-y. I'm even good with fruit. It's all yummy as of current. So, how's Jess?"

"Naked and yummy."

"Must you?"

"I must, because you walked into it. How're you guys?"

"Also naked and yummy."

"Let me guess? You must?"

"I must."

"How's the life of an old married lady treating you?"

"Well. Very, very well. How's the life of a young professional with a love life treating you?"

"It might not have the same ring to it, but I repeat, naked and yummy."

"Just tell me it wasn't the kitchen. Or the living room. Or the shower. Or the foyer. Or the porch. Or our room. Or your room."

"The apartment, but we'll be sure to hit all those spots before I leave for the city of brotherly love."

"Aw, that's my girl."

"You sound happy."

"Oh yeah."

"Go be happy, Mom."

"Wait! Are you?"

"Happy?"

"Yeah."

"Have been. Now just...more."

"Good. I'll see you."

"I love you. Bye."

"You too."

She shoves the phone back into her bag, crawling back into bed.

"Morning," Jess mutters, pulling her against him.

"Don't say that. Morning is getting up time," she complains, grabbing his arm and kissing his shoulder.

"We don't need to get up," he promises.

She smiles and snuggles close before realizing, "Don't you have to open the diner?"

"I called Cesar last night when you were in the bathroom. The diner is open and functioning and diner-like."

"You're so responsible," she marvels. "Will you do my taxes and pick up my dry cleaning?"

He shakes his head. "The tax code is a joke to confuse citizens into civil obedience and dry cleaning is the fashion industry's attempt to make you spend more money than you make just to have clean, fresh laundry."

"And socially conscious. You are the perfect man."

"I try," Jess offers.

She shakes her head. "No you don't. It just comes natural."

"Well, the naked part took some work, and yummy was a bit of a chore."

"And I'm sure it took a lot of practice to learn to eavesdrop like that, too."

He shakes his head. "You two talk at eight thousand decibels. I know I'm naked and yummy, I know they're naked and yummy. Frankly, I'm somewhat uncomfortable with the situation."

Rory tries to look innocent. "But think of all the places you're gonna get lucky at before I leave in a mere three days."

"It is some consolation."


	6. Joinings: An Epilogue of Best Friends

**All the Words**  
**They are not friends**  
**The characters and world within do not belong to me.**

* * *

Joinings: An Epilogue of Best Friends

* * *

"So, the news is around town," Lane offers. "The diner, start of the lunch rush, Rory Gilmore and Jess Mariano emerge from behind the curtain. But, here's the twist: no one has seen them all morning. No one saw them go up. Did they go up before the diner opened? Or after the diner closed?"

"Uhm, the latter," Rory replies.

"Oh my God. So, what's up? I mean, if Jess lives in Philadelphia, and you're spending the summer there? Are you friends? Or more? Or is it just sex?"

Rory smiles, crossing her legs. "It's more. Way more. Jack and Meg, Sonny and Cher, John and Yoko."

"The early years on all of the above, I hope."

"Oh yeah. You know the end of _Chocolat_where Roux comes back and everyone is happy? It's like that, but Johnny Depp won't play Jess in the movie."

"No? I don't know, Johnny has some range."

"But he's forty. Maybe he can play Jess near the end of the movie, where we're adults and everything has come to what it will eventually come to."

Lane pointed out, "But then he'll be sixty."

"Damn. That plan's bust."

"Who will play Jess, though?"

"I don't think anyone could capture the Jessness of Jess."

"We'll come back to it. Who would play me?"

"Djimon Hounsou, obviously."

"How do you figure?"

"If they can turn a boy into Dakota Fanning just because, and turn a rabbit into a kangaroo as played by a wallaby, and cast a Korean as a Native American? What hope is there for a Korean girl in a band named Lane?"

"Stupid unisex name."

"Rory, Jess, Lane. For all we know, I'll be a professor played by Hugh Jackman who starts a torrid affair with my daughter's jailbait best friend, Jess, as played by Hannah Montana."

"Or possibly that student in the first row, the only freshman in the Lit 201 class, as played by that girl from _Thirteen_."

"They'll probably turn you into a pianist."

Lane frowns deeply. "So now I'm played by Adrien Brody?"

"Have you seen _The Jacket_That could work out very well for you."

"Just for that, in the Hep Alien biopic, you're being played by Buffy's annoying little sister."

"Dems da breaks."

Lane shakes her head. "It's serious?"

"No, I don't think it'll come to anything. I could be wrong, though. I mean, they'll turn anything into a movie," Rory offers with a shrug.

"I meant you and Jess."

Rory grins and nods. "Serious, with a capital S. And an English accent."

Lane returns the expression. "That's a serious serious. But, I mean, how did this happen? Last I knew, you guys weren't even talking."

"It's...we weren't not talking. I went to the Truncheon party and...things progressed and I just realized afterward that, wow."

"Wow?"

Rory nods. "Wow."

"Must I sit here, patiently waiting for the full story?"

Grinning, Rory began. "Well, it started when he came back, the first time. Wait, no, the second."

* * *

_Thank you for sticking with me through the time it took to post this story. I have been without internet, and have been starting my life in new and exciting ways, so I know the update schedule was blown._

_I'm having trouble deciding what to polish and post next, though. If you are so inclined, I'd appreciate you to go into my profile and look at the story titles and summaries under the 'Coming Soon' heading. Let me know, either in a review, a PM or a direct e-mail (available in my profile) which you would most like to see._

_Thank you,_  
_Leeson_


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